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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23760364">Lightning in a Bottle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/strawberrylightning'>strawberrylightning (orphan_account)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner RPF, The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Near Death, Sarcasm, Slow Burn, Trauma, all of that shiz, cute fluffy shit, slow ass mf burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:28:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23760364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/strawberrylightning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You know the drill. You're stuck in the Maze with a bunch of teenage boys with virtually no way out. A girls dream, right?<br/>Despite the misery of smelling BO every day and getting stared at relentlessly, you begin to form friendships ( and maybe something more) with this group. Will you become a family, or will differences tear you apart?</p><p>A sort of unconventional take on the same blueprint of maze runner fics youve been scanning for years because you just can't seem to get over these boys. Title (and fic) loosely inspired by Electric Love by BØRNS.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minho (Maze Runner)/Reader, Minho (Maze Runner)/Y/N</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lightning in a Bottle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They smell.</p><p>Somehow, miraculously, all of these boys smell. So. Bad.</p><p>It's not like they don't have showers. And there's an abundance of soap, too - a whole carton came up with me in the box. They just don't use it.</p><p>I've been here two weeks and I've showered morning and night, every single day. No wonder they sent a girl up... these boys need some help.</p><p> </p><p>The now-familiar smell of body odor wafted past my nose, signaling that there was a boy behind me. </p><p>I turned around, locking eyes with Clint. I dropped the box of tongue depressers I was putting up and sighed.</p><p>"Yes, Clint?"</p><p>"Uhm, I uh, was wondering when you're gonna be done."</p><p>"You're the Keeper of the Med-Jacks. You tell me when I'm done."</p><p>His eyes widened like this hadn't occurred to him before. I stood up from my crouching position, now standing half a foot taller than him.</p><p>"Uh, okay. Alby and Newt want to see you." He mumbled. </p><p>I grinned softly. "That was all you had to say. Thanks, Clint."</p><p> </p><p>I trotted out of the Med Hut and towards the Homestead, ignoring the stares of the boys I passed. I honestly didn't think of myself as very pretty, just enough to get around, I guess...but I was a goddess to these female-deprived boys.</p><p>Newt and Alby were swinging in hammocks on the porch of the building where they all slept. I had been relocated to the storage closet in the Map Room after the first night... needless to say why. </p><p>They stopped their conversation as I walked up.</p><p>"Hey, Y/N, have a seat." Newt said, waving to a hammock. I sat down and boy smell floated upwards. My body threatened to gag, but I swallowed it down.</p><p>"What's up?" </p><p>They looked at each other, then at me. "How are you doing?" Newt asked.</p><p>I shrugged. Tired, lonely, still kind of freaking out, can't sleep because of nightmares every night... "Alright, I guess."</p><p>Newt's eyebrow twitched. He didn't believe me. "You guess?"</p><p>"I don't know." I fiddled with my nails. "Why?"</p><p>Alby spoke up, breaking his stony stare. "We're just a little concerned for you. You didn't really freak out when you came out of the box like everyone else. There's rumors you're a spy sent by the Creators."</p><p>I frowned, eyes wide. "No, no, no. I'm not a spy, I promise. I... I'm one to internalize things. I definitely freaked out, you just didn't see it."</p><p>The first night I stayed up all night bawling my eyes out.</p><p>Alby squinted. "I know you're not a spy. We just want to make sure you're adjusting."</p><p>"I'm doing just fine." I assured them. The definition of "just fine" may vary between people, but it worked for me.</p><p>Newt took a deep breath. "We ask this because the last guy that was like this... well, he went bloody ballistic." He ran his hand through his straw-colored hair. "Just shut down for the first week. Didn't talk to anyone, just did his job and went to sleep. About a week in, the poor shank lost his marbles and uh... well."</p><p>He didn't have to say anything else. I knew.</p><p>My heart sped up. I didn't want to end up like him.<br/>
I'm not him. I talked to people, even if I was a little snappy. I had friends. Well, one friend. Newt.</p><p>"My marbles are very much intact, I promise. I just cope a little differently." I wasn't just reassuring them.</p><p>"Well, we want to do something to help. You know, get you more accustomed to the groove of things here. We want to promote you to Keeper of the Med-Jacks." Alby stated.</p><p>I froze. "What?"</p><p>Newt chuckled. "We think it'd be good for a girl to run the Med Hut. Keep it organized and clean. And we've seen you - you have more medical knowledge than those two slintheads combined. We all - well, most of us, agreed on it."</p><p>It was true, I did know more than them. Who knows where that knowledge came from, though.</p><p>I blinked. "But I've only been here two weeks."</p><p>"We'll help show you the ropes. And if something goes disasterously wrong, we'll just make you a regular Med-Jack again. But we hope that by promoting you, these shanks gain a little bloody respect for you and you get to know everyone."</p><p>"It might be nice to have them take me seriously." I muttered.</p><p>Newt laughed. "So you start tomorrow. And nobody's...?"</p><p>I shook my head. "No, no. There's the occasional creepy stare, but nothing more than that."</p><p>"Good. I think we scared 'em pretty bad." He sighed. "Alright, you're free to go."</p><p>I took a deep breath and stood up. "Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it."</p><p>Newt smiled and opened his mouth to say something but Alby cut him off. "You're welcome. Now get outta here, Greenie."</p><p>I grinned and jogged back to the Med Hut.</p><p>Keeper.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>I woke up the next morning with an unusual pep in my step. Today was going to be a good day, whether the universe wanted it to be or not. </p><p>I sang in the shower while Newt guarded the door and chatted with him and Alby during breakfast. He even gave me some old, soft shirts from the storage closet so I didn't have to wear the same stinky tanktop I've had.</p><p>Newt was with me for the first few hours at the Med Hut, helping Clint and Jeff give me a rundown of my responsibilities. He seemed to be pretty medically proficient himself.</p><p>I was rummaging through the closet to find a clean washcloth when something caught my eye. I pulled out a small box that was tucked under the shelf labeled "bed restraints". My eyes widened. Either someone here was really kinky, or...</p><p>I stood up, grabbing the box and walking back to the main room with it.</p><p>"Hey Newt? What are these for?" </p><p>He turned around, his eyes wide. "Shuck. Right. Um, have a seat, Y/N."</p><p>I plopped myself down on a worn out cot and set the box next to me. He sat down on the cot opposite mine.</p><p>He sighed. "You know why the Maze closes every night, right?"</p><p>I nodded. "Grievers."</p><p>"Well, sometimes, when one of the Gladers encounters a Griever, he gets stung."</p><p>Stung?"</p><p>He rubbed the back of his neck, a distant look in his eyes. "When someone gets stung, we have to use the antidote that they send up, and they go through what we call the Changing. Basically like a coma, but they go bloody batshit - thrashing, screaming, puking. We have to restrain them to the bed so they don't hurt anyone."</p><p>My mind was racing. "What? Why? Why would they..." I couldn't even finish my sentence.</p><p>He shrugged. "Another cruel trick from the Creators to keep us in line, I suppose. Anyway, after they're done, they're never the same. More angry and callous."</p><p>I brushed a long strand of hair behind my ear. "Have you ever been stung?"</p><p>He shook his head. "No."</p><p>My knee bounced incessantly. What would happen if I-</p><p>"You won't get stung." He reassured me. "Only the people that go into the Maze get stung."</p><p>Suddenly, he cocked his head to the side. "Do you hear that?"</p><p>I listened. Distant yelling.</p><p>We locked eyes and ran outside.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>We sprinted towards the West opening of the Maze, where a group of boys were huddled around one on the ground. They parted as Newt and I shoved them aside.</p><p>A tall, muscled Asian boy was lying on the grass, face contorted as he grasped his ankle. I was told he was the Keeper of the Runners, named Minho.</p><p>I knelt on the ground next to him. "What happened?"</p><p>He opened his eyes to squint at me. "None of your concern, Greenbean. Where's Clint and Jeff?" </p><p>I clenched my fist. "I'm the Keeper of the Med-Jacks, dickhead. What happened?"</p><p>"Nobody bothered to tell me?" He huffed, wincing as he shifted his leg.</p><p>"Stop moving, stop moving! God, just be still. Now, what the f-"</p><p>"He rounded a turn too quick and landed on his ankle. We think it's broken." Another Runner chimed in. </p><p>I sighed. "Thank you. Now, don't move, Minho. I need to look at it."</p><p>I took off his shoe and sock, which was soaked with sweat, as gingerly as possible. </p><p>"Jesus, woman, why don't you go ahead and just twist the whole thing?" He grunted.</p><p>"Shut up, Minho, she's trying to help you." Newt snapped.</p><p>I grinned, taking a look at the ankle. The whole thing was immensely swollen and purple right around the middle. </p><p>"Okay, it's definitely broken." I muttered.</p><p>"Thanks, princess, for that diagnosis." He hissed. A gash running right through his right eyebrow was dripping blood down his face as he scowled at me.</p><p>"Um, boys, let's get him to the Med Hut." I said, standing to my feet and wiping my hands on my jeans.</p><p>Two boys picked him up underneath the shoulders and began to haul him to the hut. Alby dismissed everyone and walked with me and Newt.</p><p>"Is he always like this?" I asked, tying my hair into a ponytail. </p><p>Newt grinned. "Not usually that abrasive, but close. Don't worry, he didn't mean anything against you, he's just in pain."</p><p>"I would suggest not talking to him like that, though." Alby commented.</p><p>I cocked an eyebrow. "Why not?"</p><p>"Minho's... sort of like the Alpha. Under Alby, of course." Alby nodded in approval.</p><p>I rolled my eyes. "So he's an egotistical jerk?"</p><p>Newt gave a surprised laugh. "You could say that."</p><p>"Well, maybe he needs someone to take him down a few notches."</p><p>Alby and Newt exchanged a look. "Better that it comes from a pretty girl and not one of us... he can't hit you."</p><p>I laughed. I did have an advantage there.</p><p>The boys had set Minho down on one of the cots, where he layed, scowling.</p><p>"Alright." I said, clapping my hands together. "First, let's take care of that gash. Y'all can go." I waved the others away, but Newt stayed behind.</p><p>"You took your sweet time getting here, princess." Minho muttered, running a hand through his jet black hair.</p><p>I filled up a bowl with our water supply and grabbed a washcloth. "Yeah, yeah. Close your mouth, pretty boy."</p><p>Sitting on the edge of the bed, I began to dab at the wound with the wet cloth.</p><p>"You know, if you weren't a girl, I wouldn't let you talk to me like that." He winced.</p><p>"Well, I guess we're both lucky I'm a girl, then."</p><p>A hint of a grin passed his face, then he remembered that he didn't like me and went back to a stony demeanor. </p><p>I finished cleaning the cut and bandaged it before moving on to his ankle. I remembered I had found a boot cast and some crutches in the storage closet the day before and grabbed them.</p><p>"Now, since we don't have real casts, this'll have to do. Newt, grab him something to bite down on, please."</p><p>Minho shifted himself upwards on the bed. </p><p>"Don't worry, pretty boy, you'll be fine."</p><p>"I'm not worried. I'm tough as nails. And stop calling me pretty boy."</p><p>"Only if you stop calling me princess."</p><p>He cocked an eyebrow. Looks like nothing was going to change.</p><p>Newt came back with a torn piece of a leather belt and Minho stuck it between his teeth. </p><p>"Try to stay as still as possible, okay?" I said. "Newt, hold him if he gets crazy."</p><p>I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.</p><p>I quickly slipped the boot onto Minho's foot and tightened it, ignoring his thrashing. I made sure everything was adjusted correctly and let go.</p><p>"I'm done, I'm done! It's okay." I yelled. </p><p>Newt backed up, taking his arms off of Minho's. He spat out the piece of leather.</p><p>"You couldn't have been any more gentle?" He hissed.</p><p>"Better to do it quickly than to drag it out."</p><p>He cut his eyes at me, but I could see a tiny bit of relief.</p><p>"Now, it'd be a good idea to keep all weight off of it for at least a week, except for going to use the bathroom and stuff like that. Then we'll transition to walking more with the crutches -"</p><p>Minho interrupted me. "How long until I can run again?"</p><p>I cleared my throat. "Um, should be about four to six weeks with the proper physical therapy."</p><p>"What? That's like two months!" He yelled.</p><p>"Less than two. And because you're so young and fit, it probably won't even take that long." I said, trying to calm him down a little.</p><p>He huffed. "So what, I'm gonna have to be babysat for a whole month?"</p><p>"I'm not any happier about it than you are." I said. </p><p>"Alby and I'll help, too." Newt added. </p><p>"Great. Looks like we'll be spending a lot of quality time together, princess." He sighed, crossing his thick arms against his chest.</p><p>"Don't call me that."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hiya friends!! I hope you all understand and share my deep love for Minho and the rest of these stinky boys :) please tell me what you think in the comments and don't forget to drop a kudos!! I appreciate every one &lt;3</p><p>xoxo - izzy</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i post about 2x a week so don't forget to subscribe!! xoxo</p></blockquote></div></div>
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